Mistletoe
by purebloodragdoll
Summary: A kiss under the mistletoe is the perfect way to celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas!


**Author's Note:** It's Christmas Eve here! Hope everyone have a good Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!

**Disclaimer:**I don't own DC.

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><p><strong>Mistletoe<strong>

Kudo Shinichi leaned back against the wall and sighed. He never should have agreed to accompany Shiho on her Christmas shopping trips, but it was slowly becoming more obvious to him that he would rather endure extensive bodily harm than allow any danger to come within a foot of her. Though, for the said girl, having Shinichi there with her meant more money to buy her stuffs. She already took his wallet from before running off in different directions. Let's face it, Shiho in a mall, with a wallet full of money and credit card is never a good thing.

A glance at his watch told Shinichi that the bane of his existence right now, Shiho, was running late. He exhaled in an overly exasperated way, trying to ignore the secret glee that was creeping up his spine at the thought he was going to have to go into the store and drag her out.

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Shiho looked at the bags in her hand, quietly counting it and hoping she hadn't forgotten anyone's gift. She never been a fun of Christmas; it's all too jolly for her liking, but the past years she live with Hakase and the others around, she feels like they are rubbing off of her. The only thing she liked in Christmas shopping is…well, the word shopping in it.

However, if society said that it was required she buy gifts for people, she would do it. Who was she to argue with tradition and she thinks it is time for her to repay every kindness they gave to her albeit her cynical attitude.

Plus, shopping…especially, shopping using Kudo Shinichi's money, is fun.

"Good…all here…" She was about to walk out of the store when she remembered she forgotten one gift. She exasperatedly sighed, looking around the store as she murmur under her breath. "What the hell am I gonna get for the detective freak?"

She can't get a book because for sure, a lot of people would be giving him that, or anything related to Sherlock Holmes or soccer. She frowned, vainly attempting to ignore the little voice that was chastening her, telling her she _should _know what to get him. She had known him for four years already.

Sure, she gets him alright. She understand him well enough, she can outsmart him, heck she made him pay for most of her shopping spree, but none comes to mind on what to give him.

Shiho stopped in the middle of an aisle, ignoring the indignant squawk of the woman pushing a cart behind her. She frowned, repeating her thoughts a second and third time before an epiphany hit her – if she can't get anything serious for him then might as well get fun out of it.

She smirked as she made way to Daiso.

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Shiho called him to meet him at the store, which surprised him. The brand-loving girl wants to shop at a 100-yen store? He recalled his phone conversation that might gave away the sudden change of atmosphere.

"_Why there of all places?" He asked in an aggravated voice, with a its-not-worth-my-time look on his face. He had been following her around Beika since 10 o'clock in the morning. He was tired and his feet hurt._

"_Just come here, would you…There are cookies there that Genta-kun really likes. Now get your ass over here." _

"_Oh…" He replied, and with a big sigh, "Well, then…Wait for me there."_

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The place had automatic doors, although one was jammed and you had to jump on the mat a few times to get it opened.

He should have taken that as a precursor to what the inside was going to be like. When he first entered, all he could see was miles and miles of red and green garlands and flickering white and gold bulbs. Fake mistletoe was strung up above every bench, cash register, entrance, and exit. He looked up, and a few dusty leaves brushed his nose.

God, how he wanted to get out of there already; the cheap gaudiness of it was overwhelming.

He saw Shiho a few feet away from him; she stood remarkably ridiculous inside this ridiculous store. She stood there in the middle with a blank expression on her face, you would think its not festive season, but the people around her and the decorations of the room said otherwise. Upon seeing him, she abruptly turned around and walked in an aisle.

He sighed again as he went to follow her. _"I swear, this girl would be the death of me…"_

Someone had laughed loudly and Shiho had unconsciously been drawn to the sound.

A group of kids, rather well-dressed for this 100 yen store, were pointing and laughing at the second-rate toys, fragile, plastic things not even worth the discounted price.

Shiho frowned and then passed over them in distaste, silently asking herself how people who behaved like that could laugh and smile and feel so good about themselves. She wondered if they knew it made them look unfeeling and unsophisticated.

Then her eyes landed on a little girl, standing a few feet away, studying the toys. Next to her was a young man, barely out of his twenties, who was obviously her father. Their clothing was faded and thin; the coats hanging over the man's arm obviously second—hell, even fifth—hand.

The man bent down to whisper in his daughter's ear, no doubt asking her which toy she wanted. She reached one hand out to pull a cheap doll of the shelf—

-and then one of the girls caught sight of the doll and screeched, "_Oh my GOD! Look it's so cheap and ugly! We have to get one, as a joke!"_

They all immediately burst out laughing, as if it was the wittiest thing ever uttered.

But Shiho wasn't looking at them. She was watching the little girl and her father.

The girl's lower lip began to tremble and her eyes became very large. Her father looked down, obviously ashamed. Then the girl, who couldn't have been older than six, threw her arms around his leg. And then they walked away.

Shiho stood still for a moment, staring after them.

Then she slid a hand into her pocket and began running.

As the father and his daughter walked out of the aisle, Shiho had entered, she followed them out about thirty seconds later.

"Sir! Sir! Excuse me!" she shouted, running past the bench where Shinichi sat until she had caught up to the man.

"Yes, miss, how can I help you?" He asked, his eyes downcast.

Shiho slipped a hand into her pocket and brought up a fistful of cash. "I think you dropped this back there," she answered, gesturing that he take the money.

The man stepped back and stared at her. "I can-can't take that, it isn't mine."

She smiled. A real, beautiful smile appeared across her face; not her infamous smirk but a real eye-blinding smile. "It's Christmas," she said, folding the money neatly and placing it in his shirt pocket.

He looked like he was going to protest again, but Shiho ignored him and crouched down so she could talk to his daughter. "Hello, sweetheart," she said softly, holding one hand out to the child, who was hiding behind her father's leg and staring up at Shiho with her big, brown eyes. "What would you like for Christmas?"

The girl pondered that for a moment, her forehead creased in exaggerated concentration. "A real doll," she finally answered.

Shiho smiled as she reached into shopping bag number three and pulled out a gold-wrapped box, she had been planning to give to Ayumi. "Take this," she commanded, not caring that the man was half-heartedly trying to refuse.

Without waiting for an answer, Shiho rose from her crouch and tried to adjust her packages. "Merry Christmas," she said before walking away.

The little girl's giddy laughter echoed after her.

Shiho walked towards Shinichi, a little, soft smile remained in her face but upon seeing Shinichi's gawking face, she dropped it.

"What?"

Shinichi started to answer, shut his mouth, opened it again, and found he didn't know what to say.

"Do you know what mistletoe is?" he found himself saying, unable to control the words coming out of his mouth.

Shiho raised an eyebrow. "No, what is it?" Then she rolled her eyes and continued, "What kind of question is that? It's a ridiculous Western thing that you have to kiss when two people are under it." Then, she frowned. Was it just her, or was Shinichi looking at her funny? He was kind of leaning in, staring into her eyes in a way that made her feel as if she was about to board, stomach twisting and spine tingling.

Shinichi tipped her chin up with one hand and pointed at a bunch of leaves hanging above their heads with the other. "That's mistletoe."

Shiho looked at it and scoffed, "I know that's a mistle…toe…" She trailed off, realizing that _they_ are under it,

"And this is what supposed to happen…" Shinichi whispered, leaning even more so. Her eyes went wide for a while, wanting to push him off but seeing him close his eyes and made her want to do so too.

She let her bags slide off her wrists so that she could reach and wrap her arms around his neck. His hands were around her waist, and she was leaning back into them, her chin tilted all the way up so she could kiss him back. For the first time, she felt fragile, delicate, trapped there in the circle of his arms with his mouth on hers, demanding yet yielding at the same time.

This all took less than thirty seconds.

Then it was over. Shinichi leaned down to pick up her bags, and walked off, calling over his shoulder for her to hurry up.

She there for a moment, staring at the ground and running a finger across her lips, which felt oddly soft and swollen.

"Hurry up! Don't we have to go back to that one toy store for Ayumi?"

Shiho looked at him, wondering what to do.

"Well, come on, let's go."

She grinned, glanced up at the ceiling and ran to catch up.

She had figured out what to get him for Christmas.

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><p><strong>AN: **Merry Christmas!


End file.
